Oh yes, more Oracle

Yesterday, Oracle released financial results for the fiscal year and today results for Oracle Europe, Middle East and Africa. Good news for the big boys, bad news for their competitors: “Oracle Europe, Middle East & Africa Reports Strong Performance for the Fiscal Year 2006 as Total Revenues Increase by 10 Percent” read the headlines. And Oracle Europe, Middle East and Africa executive vice president Sergio Giacoletto was able to just tick items off the list in his announcement: “We have increased our revenues; consolidated our leadership in our bedrock markets of public services, financial services and telecommunications; and extended our presence substantially in the healthcare, retail and transport and logistics industries.”

Specifically, Oracle Corporation in the region pulled in US $4.708 billion in fiscal year 2006, which ended 31 May. This represents a ten percent growth rate over fiscal 2005, and new license revenues grew 10% compared with the previous year.

Operations in the region accounted for one-third of total Oracle 2006 revenues. Growth in applications sales in the region increased by more than one hundred percent. As in North America and overall, Oracle’s fourth quarter was a doozy. In that quarter, new license revenues were also up twenty percent over fourth quarter 2005. Noted high-growth sectors in the region included public services, financial services, retail and telecommunications. Small- and medium-sized enterprise markets also grew.

In the region, clients such as Thomas Cook AG, Telecom Italia, Virgin Atlantic and Société Générale particularly boosted revenue with new deals in fiscal year 2006. Giacoletto commented with understatement, "This has been a good year for the region, with growth across all lines of business.”